"Search has become an integral part of Windows, particularly in later versions. While the major search improvements began with Windows Vista and were backported to Windows XP, it's really only with Windows 7 that the larger majority of users are discovering the search bar all over in the operating system. Search is built into every aspect of Windows 7 to help users cope with the increasingly rapidly growing number of files, be they work documents and e-mails, personal photos and videos, or music collections. Many users perform searches without thinking nowadays: it's an ingrained habit of using the operating system. Like many habits, this one is worth breaking in order to to develop an even better one. Here we take a quick look at a few basic search techniques and a few more advanced ones. Force yourself to use them and you'll soon become a master of Windows Search. A bit of extra time now will save you loads of effort in the long run."

1) In the list in xp, user must know something about the name of the cpl.
2) Similarly in the multiclick, sub-windows in vista, must guess in which subwindow/panel you might want to open.
So search is another way to try guessing where things are. (also, vista allows toggling to classic (list) view.)

Some apps install stuff into control panel, though, so xp's list gets long. I wonder if this 3rd party stuff create new subpanels, or must dump themselves into a single subpanel?